DISBELIEF

Republican Horror at Stephen Miller’s Promotion Leaks

Republicans had called for his ouster just before news broke of his new role.

Republican lawmakers are reeling after the shock appointment of anti-immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as Trump’s new chief of staff.

Speaking to Fox News, Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana described it as a “horrible decision,” while another GOP lawmaker, who remained anonymous, described their “utter disbelief.”

And in an interview with CNN on Friday, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina described Miller as the “worst of all possible choices” for the role.

“It is a colossal mistake, and the last thing we need 72 hours after the a–- whooping we got on Tuesday,” he added.

One unnamed House Republican, upon being informed of Miller’s promotion Friday, was quoted telling Politico: “Please tell me you’re lying to me right now, just to get a reaction.”

According to Fox News, multiple House Republicans called for Miller to be fired just before news of the appointment broke, and one replied with a facepalm emoji after he got promoted instead.

In response, a White House spokesperson forwarded the Daily Beast a list of seven Republican senators and 12 representatives who praised Miller’s appointment in posts on X.

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The spokesperson said Miller has worked with Democrats on the DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force and has been a “valuable, trusted aide” since 2016.

Opposition to the brutal anti-immigration policies that Miller played a key role in designing was among the driving forces behind the midterm Republican defeat. According to a poll by ABC News, 60 percent of voters disapproved of the way migration was being handled ahead of the midterms.

It saw millions of Latino voters abandon the GOP and vote Democrat over the issue, erasing recent gains Republicans have made in securing Latino support.

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Another Republican member of Congress told Fox News Miller had ignored warnings about the growing unpopularity of his immigration policies.

“I’ve been in several group meetings where a lot of us have told him, ‘Your immigration enforcement policies are backfiring back home, our people are mad, our businesses are mad — even in deep red districts — and it is impacting not just the voters, but the donors, and everybody top to bottom,” that GOP lawmaker said. “But it looked to me like Stephen Miller was only after numbers … he would not listen to us.”

Miller’s capacity to work with congressional Democrats is another issue facing the White House, with party leaders having vowed to aggressively investigate Miller and ICE when they take power in January.

“Stephen Miller should lawyer up,” Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, said on Friday.

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Tom PorterBreaking News Reporter

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